Index and tabulator.



CLARENCE A. BURNER, OF NORMAL, ILLINOIS.

INDEX AND TABULATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 11, 1919.

Application filed November 14, 1917. Serial No. 202,008.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLAnnNon A. BURNER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Normal, in the county of McLean and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Indexes and Tabulators, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to an improved index and tabulator, designed especially for use at auction sales inorder to provide a ready and accuratereference index and tabulator wherein the price of an article sold may be quickly ascertained by proper inspection of the tabulator.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a simple, comprehensive, and accurate index and tabulator of recording prices realized in sales where the articles are sold by lot number, such as mail auction sales of old coins, postage stamps, etc. Un-

der ordinary use and custom the bidders at these auction sales are required to purchase priced catalogues of these sales in order to ascertain how the lots are sold, but by the utilization of my listing schedule or tabulator the purchaser is enabled to price his own catalogue with accuracy and despatch.

In the accompanying drawing I have illustrated one complete example of the physical embodiment of my invention, combined and arranged according to the best mode I have so far devised for the practi.

cal application of the principles of the invention.

It will be understood of course that the claim is not confined to the index and tabulator shown on the drawing which applies to one sale, but the principle may be carried out in any sales desired.

In the practical application of the invention as shown in the drawing I utilize a sheet of paper of required dimensions, with the index and tabulator thereon. The tabulator comprises the two columns at the left of the sheet under the words Lot No. and the lots are numbered from 1 to 200. But instead of placing upon the sheet all of the numbers between 1 and 200 I arrange them in tens in the two columns. Thus, reading the first and second columns from left to right, the first brace of numbers are 1 and 10, the second brace 11 and 20, the third brace 21 and 30 and so on to the last brace 191 and 200.

At the right of these lot numbers are arranged ten columns, parallel with the lot columns, and it will readily be understood that the spaces formed by the vertical and horizontal, intersecting lines, are adapted to receive the prices at which the lots were sold. For instance, lot 1 sold for $3.10 and lot N o. 9 sold for $1.40. If it is desired to ascertain the price at which lot No. 143 was sold we refer to the brace 141 and 150 and count three spaces to the right of the two lot columns, the price being found to be $1.40.

Of course the number of articles sold gov- V erns the number of lots listed and the number may be above or below two hundred, but in any event the numbers are arranged in pairs or braces, in tens, so that each line of ten spaces contains the prices of ten lots as indicated by the index numbers in the two left hand columns.

The essence of the invention is contained in the relation of the tens columns to the price columns so that to ascertain the price of any lot, the line is located whose lot index contains the ten represented in the lot number wanted.

It will be apparent that the index and tabulator as shown on the drawing is not only a great convenience for ascertaining the price of a lot, but provides an accurate lndex placed clearly and distinctly in position for perusal with quickness and despatch.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim is An index and tabulating system comprismg a chart divided by lines and columns to form squares, the first two squares of each line containing the limiting numbers desigating the squares of that line, and the limitlng numbers in each pair having regular and similar intervals therebetween, and the 7 remaining squares of each line having data therein referring to certain articles desig-' Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. 0." 

